EUROPEAN WOMEN MATCH RACING CHAMPIONSHIP

Saturday 23rd september saw the third round-robin completed and the beginning of semi-finals. As expected Claire LEROY (FRA) clearly lead the fleet with 16 victories on 18 possible. Second was Christelle PHILIPPE (FRA) with 11 wins tied with Sabrina GURIOLI (ITA). The fourth boat passing into semi-finals was Anne-Claire LE BERRE (FRA), the 2005 european champion. A soft but consistent sea breeze under a blue sky provided an excelent racing day with some very close and interesting matches.

Semi-finals (the first to win 2 points) were started on saturday. Claire LEROY selected to race against Sabrina GURIOLI, each of them winning one match. Same result in the second semi-final opposing Christelle PHILIPPE and Anne-Claire LE BERRE

Light winds dominated sunday racing. The deciding semi-final matches saw Sabrina Gurioli defeating Claire Leroy and Christelle Philippe winning against Anne-Claire Le Berre. It was an non-appealing victory for Sabrina Gurioli, 3-0 against Christelle Philippe, whilst in the petit finals Claire Leroy managed to get the third place by 2-1 in front of Le Berre.

Bjoern Hansen take over the lead in Trapani

Bjoern Hansen, Ian Williams Ian Amsile and the young D. Iel will sail in the semifinal tomorrow.

1. B. Hansen 9 Points
2. I. Williams 7 Points
3. I. Ainslie 6 Points
4. D. Iehl 6 Points
5. J. Berntsson 5 Points
6. S. Westegaard 5 Points
7. M. Simoncelli 4 Points
8. F. Favini 4 Points
9. S. Minoprio 3.5 Points
10. E. Monnin 3 Points
11. M. Stanczyk 2 Points

Hard day for Team Monnin matchrace.ch in Trapani

Photo (c) Juerg Kaufmann

We finished our 5 race day with 4 losses and only one win. We only managed to win the race against the polish competitor Stanczyk which we already peeled off at the committee vessel. In the races against Williams, who’s leading the Round Robin 5:0, Minoprio and Favini we had a lead off the start line but had to give it away either on the first beat or later during the race. Tricky and shifty winds didn’t really help and had been played better by our opponents. Really tricky was the last part of the day with the really short 3 lap race inside the harbour. We’re looking forward to some more and better racing tomorrow.

Team Monnin / matchrace.ch from Trapani

General results of today
I. Williams 5 points
B. Hansen 4 points
J. Berntsson 3 points
S. Minoprio 3 points
I. Ainslie 3 points
M. Simoncelli 2 points
D. Iehl 2 points
F. Favini 2 points
S. Westegaard 2 points
E. Monnin 1 points
M. Stanczyk 0 points

Trapani Cento Cup

Tommorow first races of ISAF Grade 1 event Trapani Cento Cup will take place in Trapani, Italy. 12 competitors will be fighting until Sunday on Zip 25 boats for 8000 USD prize money.
The competitors list is as follows:
1. Ian Willimas GBR
2. Ed Baird USA
3. Ian Ainslie RSA
4. Bjorn Hansen SWE
5. Johnie Berntsson SWE
6. Matteo Simoncelli ITA
7. Simon Minoprio NZL
8. Stig Westegaard DEN
9. Flavio Favini ITA
10. Damien Iehl FRA
11. Marek Stanczyk POL
12. Eric Monin SUI

Read more at the event website www.trapanicentocup.com

Team Waldvogel and UBS Alinghi Swiss Tour 2006

Team Waldvogel from Zürich Yacht Club a new Swiss Match Race Team

We started with enthousiasmus our second matchrace at Geneva UBS Alinghi Tour.
On the first day we where in the 2nd position right behind alinghi with 2/3 points wich gave us a good feeling ....

Read More in the Team Section

Getting inside Toyota Sopot Match Race 2006

This year Sopot was hosting second edition of ISAF Grade 1 event Toyota Sopot Match Race 2006, the biggest match racing event in Poland which is getting more and more popular among the sailors all around the world. Sopot is the turistic town located just over the Gdansk Bay with the longest pier in Europe.
Today we talk with the President of Sopot Match Racing Center, the main Organizer and also match race sailor at the same time Przemyslaw Tarnacki.

What are the beginnings of Sopot Match Race event? Whose idea was that?
After 4 seasons of sailing in match racing circuit and seeing how it works in some different places around the world I have decided to start preparation for a high grade event in Sopot.

Why did you chose Sopot for the event's venue?
Sopot has the natural advantage which is the 500m long molo pier – this is a perfect tribune to watch match racing!

How did you find Toyota Sopot Match Race 2006 both from Organizer and competitor side?
This year was much better than last 2 years. I could concentrate more on sailing than running the event but, of course, you will never have ‘clear head’ like when you sail any other event outside Sopot. The shore team worked perfect this year and this is, along with the fleet of new yachts and huge media campaign, the biggest improvement.

What are you plans for the future in terms of Sopot Match Racing Center?
We plan to run the 2007 Europeans and build 1 more Diamant 3000 yacht to have the 6 big yacht fleet. We have already started to build the budget and the media group for next year.

Do you find it difficult to organize match racing events in Poland?
Generally it is difficult to ‘sell’ yachting in this country. And it will never be a business here, like in Italy or France...But there is a great job to be done in terms of popularization of sailing and match racing itself so we look forward to do that.

What about your opponents during Toyota Sopot Match Race 2006? Who was the toughest one?
We had big problems with Marek Stanczyk, another Polish match race sailor. We lost twice with him in the double RR. That did not happen with any other team. Fortunately we finished 3rd and are very happy of that.

Your next event?
Geneva Match Race G3, Doyle Match G3 on Garda and maybe Brasil Match Cup G1 in December.

Thanks for talking and good luck next year!

Swiss Match Race Nationals Final Results

Photo (c) Juerg Kaufmann

The heavy rain from Sunday and no wind kept the boats away from the race course and the round robin outcome becomes the final ranking.
Jordi Calafat from Alinghi is the news Swiss Match Race Champion, followed by Mathias Renker, Eric Monnin and Marcel Walser.

See more pictures from Geneva

Swiss National Championship latest news

Since yesterday are running the Swiss National Match Race Championships herein Geneva.
After a full round robin the organizers planned to start the semifinals this morning with the following teams:

-Walser – Monnin
-Renker – Calafat

At 12.00h today the organizers decide to skip the semifinals as the weather conditions where not suitable.
This afternoon therefore will be sailed directly the final with the 1^st and second place of the round robin.

1^st place: Jodri – Renker
3^rd place: Monnin – Walser

Right now its raining here in Geneva and the teams are back in the club waithing for better weather.

Stay tuned for more news…  

Powered by Qumana

UBS Alinghi Swiss Tour Geneva: The girls are in the semifinal

No merci for the women crew from Nathalie Keller, gentleman Jordi Calafat chose them as opponent for the semifinal.
After an intense round robin and 3 ties the semifinalist where known. The surprise of the day was the young women crew who managed to get 3 wins during the round robin, not only 3 wins but they also managed to win against the right opponents that resolved the ties on here favor.

Results after round robin:
1. Jordi Calafat 7/7
2. Pierre Yves Pfirter 4/7
3. Loic Forrestier 4/7
4. Nathalie Keller 3/7
5. Georg Waldvogel 3/7
6. Hansmartin Amrein 3/7
7. Lucien Cujean 2/7
8. Bastien Clement 2/7

Semifinal results
-Jordi Calafat – Nathalie Keller 2:0
-Pierre Yves Pfirter- Loic Forrestier 2:1

Final Pairing
Tomorrow will be sailed the final and the petite final with the following pairing
-Jordi Calafat - Pierre Yves Pfirter
-Nathalie Keller - Loic Forrestier

Blumi talks about Bluboat

Why do you build this boat?
We build the blu30 as a daysailor for a customer in Switzerland. After this we started to think about going ahead with more boats in the same style and started the bluboats company.

What make your boat so different from the other 30 or 26 feet boat?
The blu30 is a boat especially build for easy shorthanded sailing on a Swiss lake (like lake Constance) where you need to be able to adjust your draught. It’s a boat that is built for easy sailing and maximum fun using racing technology from racing for pleasure sailing. The design of the boat and it’s lines are we straight and simple which gives the boat special look. The deck is clean and there are no line or deck gear visible.

What will cost your boat?
The standard version goes for € 95’000 and the version with hydraulic lifting keel, carbon mast and Kuhlmann rudder for € 135’000.

What are the plans you have with this boat?
The blu30 is a semi-custom boat that is designated for sailors who like the clean design and are looking for maximum sailing pleasure with little effort. We would be happy to build more blu30 but wont push a one design class for now. This boat is for pure pleasure sailing and should be adjusted for each owner.

How many boats have been sold so far?
We’re just starting. So far we have sold one boat, but now with the publicity we’re getting more and more people interested.

Can you tell us somting about the Bluboat26?
The blu26 is the smaller sister of the blu30. She looks pretty much the same but there is the difference that she’s optimised for match racing and build in an economical way and therefore more affordable. The goal is to build a widely accepted match racing boat for Switzerland that can be used for training and racing. The prototype is in construction and we’re working with the best match racing sailors to make the boat fit it’s purpose. We’re planning to go sailing before the end of the year.

Will this boat replace the streamline?
It would make sense to use a boat especially build for match racing in Switzerland for the national Swiss match racing tour and it’s championship. We’ll do our best to have the blu26 as the future boat for the Swiss Tour. There is a possibility for a change after 2007 for the 2008 season and we’ll be trying to win this pitch.

UBS Alinghi Swiss Tour Geneva

Today started the last leg of the UBS Alinghi Swiss Tour, the winner of this event will be invited to compete in the final for the Swiss National Championship title this weekend in Geneva. With light wind 1-2 Bft. where sailed 4 flight on the Streamline boats. It seems that the races are tight and the umpires have plenty of work, Bastien Clemont already got a black flag.

The results of today after 4 flights are:

Jordi Calafat     3/3
Georg Waldvogel 2/3
Loic Forrestier  2/3
Pierre Yves Pfirter 2/3
Nathalie Keller   1/3
Lucien Cujean   1/3
Hans Martin Amrein 0/3
Bastien Clemont 0/3

See Photogallery of the UBS Alinghi Swiss Tour

Bluboat 30 will this be a new matchrace boat

The sailing yacht blu30 has been created on the “drawing board” of the design office NAVAL DESIGN in Lucerne in collaboration with america’s cup sailor Christian Scherrer. The design brief described a modern daysailor optimized for short crew and single handed lake sailing. blu30 has been constructed at the yard of Dominik Schenk in Ermatingen (Switzerland).

The aim is to have several types of semi-custom and one-design sailing yachts all optimized for inland water sailing. blu30 as semi-custom is the first such yacht, being followed by blu26 which shall be launched as fist one-design by the end of 2006.

See more pictures of the Bluboat30

Read more about Bluboat

III Open de Espana in Calpe

source by: Miguel Allen

III Open de Espana, Grade 2 event in Calpe, just finished.
Semi Finals results:
Cameron Dunn lost 2 – 1 to Philippe Presti. Bertrand Pacé won 2 – 0 over Jesper Radich.
Finals results
Petit-Final – Cameron Dunn won 2-0 over Jesper Radich.
Final – Great matches! Pacé won the first. Presti won the second with a nice wind shift. 3rd Match Presti won. Pacé got 2 penalties and at the leeward mark, one of the crew members fell overboard! 4th Match, Pacé won. 5th Match, Presti got a penalty at pre-start and another one at top mark, what putted him out of the race!
Final results Pacé 1st, Presti 2nd, Dunn 3rd and Radich 4th.

If you want to read more about Calpe event click here

Sharing impressions from Qingdao!

It is now nearly 2 weeks since we have finished Qingdao International Regatta, first preolympic test before the Olympic Games in 2008. Nevertheless, I found it interesting to show you a bit more of Qingdao from somebody's else perspective, not only mine :) Today I would like to invite you to read an interview with my friend from Qingdao Jury Miguel Allen. Miguel is also the umpire for the Americas Cup 2007 and will tell us how he finds olympic racing compared to match racing.

The whole interview with Miguel can be found here
Cheers,
Sofia

ISAF Nations Cup 2006 begins

ISAF Nations Cup Grand Final 2006 began. The first Grand Final of this kind will be held in Crosshaven, Ireland. The top match race sailors will take part in the event to fight for the Nations Cup Trophy for their countries.

ISAF Nations Cup Grand Final Entrants
Open (Nation, Helm - ISAF World Match Race Ranking)

Russia, Eugeniy NEUGODNIKOV - 6
France, Mathieu RICHARD - 7
Sweden, Martin ANGSELL - 23
USA, Brian ANGEL - 35
India, Mahesh RAMCHANDRAN - 60
South Africa, Ian AINSLIE - 74
New Zealand, Simon DICKEY - 96
Argentina, Juan GRIMALDI - 133
Portugal, Helder BASILIO - 252
Ireland, George KINGSTON - 306

Women (Nation, Helm - ISAF World Match Race Ranking)

France, Claire LEROY - 1
Netherlands, Klaartje ZUIDERBAAN - 2
Denmark, Lotte MELDGAARD PEDERSEN - 5
Australia, Nicky SOUTER - 17
New Zealand, Jess SMYTH - 16
Bermuda, Paula LEWIN - 28
Great Britain, Lucy MACGREGOR - 36
Brazil, Rossana RAMOS - 64
Ireland, Mary O'LOUGHLIN - 78

Tight races in Poland

Ipressions from the Team Wibroe
After a double round robin, six boats end in a perfect fit.
The Danish team and the Russian kept clear of the tie and wend directly to the finals.
The final races where sailed in shifty conditions, Team Wibroe won the round robin and met Neugotnikov in a first to three points in the finals, where Neugotnikov won the final with a clear 3-1. After the tie was broken Tranazki and Kemmling sailed in the petite final, won by Tarnazki.
During the event there was a great hospitality at the Copacabana Beach Club with a lot of entertainment at the bar during day and night.

Photo (c) Jürg kaufmann: Team Wibroe in action

Photo (c) Jürg kaufmann: selected skippers  for the petit and final

See more pictures from Sopot

Powered by Qumana